Down the Rabbit Hole Lecture Series: Representing Homelessness—From Media Portrayals to Community Advocacy

How homelessness is represented through media and cultural storytelling shapes our collective understanding and, in turn, the policies and laws that govern how society responds. As the visibility of homelessness grows nationwide, these shared narratives play a decisive role in how communities imagine, judge and act on the issue.

A free public lecture and discussion at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) will bring together academic and grassroots perspectives to examine how cultural portrayals influence real-world action.

“Representing Homelessness: From Media Portrayals to Community Advocacy” will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Grohmann Museum. The event is part of the “Down the Rabbit Hole” lecture series sponsored by MSOE’s Humanities, Social Science and Communication Department. Free parking is available on MSOE surface lots.

The program features Professor Katherine Wikoff, who will explore portrayals of homelessness in film, literature, news, and social media, alongside Pastor James W. West, Jr., Executive Director of Repairers of the Breach, and Eva Welch, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Street Angels Milwaukee Outreach. Together, the speakers will connect the narratives that shape public imagination with the lived realities experienced daily by people on the streets and in shelters.

“The stories we share—through film, news, and social media—don’t just reflect how we see homelessness; they shape how we respond to it,” said Wikoff. “This conversation is about moving beyond stereotypes and simplifications to the human beings whose lives are at stake.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.